Texas Hold Em'
by Aeon-Rei
Summary: 'Alfred Jones' needs to disappear. But disappearing can be harder than you think. Mafia!Hetalia
1. Chapter 1

The town was small. It was more like a village really.

_The residents here must be quite close knit, _he thought_, Surely, someone would know where he is._

There were a few people at the square. Perhaps he could ask one of them. Seeing a friendly looking lady across the street, he decided that she was his best bet. He advanced towards her, raising up a hand when she sees him. She seemed to understand. Made her way to him, until they were face to face.

But before he could say anything, she did.

"Looking for Ludwig?"

He would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised. He was and he let his guard down enough to let his face show it. Even though it was only for a split second, the woman caught it. A knowing smirk found its way to her face.

"How'd you know?"

He had to ask. Or maybe it was more like he wanted to. Or needed to. The woman could be dangerous if she knew why he was here. She could either be one of them or snitch him out to them later.

"You're not from around here. No outsiders ever come here to sightsee. They all come to see Ludwig."

That would explain it but he wasn't completely sure he could trust her. People, he knew, may not be what they seem to be. He made that mistake once with an innocent looking girl named Lili Zwingli. He still had the scars today to prove it. In this world he lived in, you can never underestimate anyone. Especially not a Zwingli.

"You'll take me to him?"

"Yeah, sure. Come with me."

Eyebrow raised, he looked at her questioningly.

"Don't worry, I won't bite." she said, "Promise."

He was reluctant, he knew better than this but there was something about her he found reassuring.

"Alright, lead the way."

And he gave in to it.

But not without making sure his gun was secure. He didn't want to have to shoot her but if that was what it came to, he wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

They came to a humble little antiques shop.

He thought it was a horrible cover. An antiques shop. In a virtually simple town. It was just so obviously out of place. Honestly, this 'Ludwig' person used to be a master mercenary and a skilled soldier-or so people say- and yet here he was in the most conspicuous disguise a man could think of. What on earth would the people here do with antiques anyway? It was a wonder how his enemies haven't found him yet.

But then again, he hadn't known it was an antiques shop either, so he couldn't really say anything. Man, did he feel stupid. Seriously, he was itching to facepalm.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Go in."

"Ladies **first**." he said, accenting unnecessarily heavily on the last bit and completing charade with a gentlemanly gesture to the door.

She looked at him with a somewhat incredulous stare but went in anyway. Triggering a bell above the entrance as she opened the door.

"What do you want Elizabeta?"

"Gee Luddy, what a great way to greet a friend."

'Luddy' was a big man. Burly. Muscle. Even after years of not being on the field. Though he still lost when compared to the monstrosity that was Ivan Braginsky.

Slicked back blond hair and striking blue eyes, he had to admit, Ludwig was a good looking man. He was quite young too, surprisingly. Couldn't be more than thirty-five. Spoke with an accent that gave away his German roots.

It was only then that Ludwig finally noticed the man standing next to his female friend.

"Who are you?"

He took in a deep breath. Regained his composure.

"I need your help."

"I can see that. I was asking for your name." the German's words stung. It had taken so much of him to come out and say that and to hear the man he traveled so hard to find say that…

It was like taking a stab. Right through his pride. However little it had been at that moment.

"I'm A-"

Hesitation.

"Alfred. My name is Alfred Jones."

Ludwig eyed him skeptically, "I don't know any Jones. Any relation to Kirkland?"

"No."

They stared at each other for about the longest time. Both with stone cold expressions on their faces. Pushing each other. Until one cracked.

Still bearing a poker face but now no longer able to meet eye contact with the other man, Alfred admitted, "Not anymore."

"What is it that you need?" Ludwig decided not to press on the previous matter. It was currently unnecessary. Besides he wasn't that cruel.

"I need to disappear."

"Alright. I'll give you a one way ticket to-"

"No. That's not enough. I need to disappear from everything. Government files, agencies, anyone or anything that's ever heard of me."

For a moment, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. That was until Alfred's words finally sank into the Ludwig's brain. Then, the momentary silence was replaced by a German rage fit.

"WHAT?! ARE YOU MAD?"

And all he did was add fuel to the fire.

"Are you going to help me or not?"

"WHY SHOULD I? THIS IS INSANE!"

"Well, I'll help you."

Both men turned to face the source of the voice. Someone whom they had previously forgotten was still there. Ludwig still fuming but Alfred with a look of confusion and perhaps even amazement. Elizabeta.

"Yeah, I'll help you. I know people that will be willing to as well."

"Who?"

"Ever heard of Vargas?"

Had anyone been looking at Ludwig's face at that moment. They would have noticed the horror in his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's Belarus. Does not own Hetalia.**

* * *

Natalya placed her soft lips on her sister's cheek. She felt so fragile to touch. As if even a single kiss could break her. She used to be so proud and strong, a full face and a voluptuous figure. Now, she was the ghost of a woman she once was. Her beautiful face now bared an empty and hollow expression as she stared off into space.

"Sister, I'm leaving now."

Nothing. Not that she was expecting her to say anything. She would barely speak anymore to anyone.

Walking away from her sister left an uneasy feeling in her stomach and a huge lump in her throat.

Exiting the room, she turned to a maid standing at the doorway, "Take care of her," she spoke as she put on her riding gloves, "Don't leave her out of your sight."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

She rode through the dense forest and snowfall with ease. She had been on this route so many times, she didn't have to look where she was going. It was all too clear. She could even see her destination in the horizon. She made her horse go faster, bringing it up to a racing speed. Not once was she worried about running into a tree.

She did not use a saddle. It felt natural to ride like that. She was sure the horse felt far more comfortable without it too. The horse was a black stallion, a regal creature. Strong-willed and had somewhat of a wild streak. Befitting the 'Iron Lady' of the Braginsky family.

As she approached the wrought iron gates of the castle, she brought her horse into a steady canter, gradually into a trot and ultimately to a halt.

The gates slowly opened to welcome her in though she felt like a stranger inside those walls. No matter how many times she'd been there.

Once arriving at the grand doors of the castle she got off and allowed the stableman to take it away. It was the one they usually provided to her so she had her utmost confidence in his abilities. Sure she wasn't their favourite person but she was an honoured guest and an important ally. It didn't matter how much they disliked her or her family, no one wanted to make an enemy of the Braginskys. Of course they would have to put their best staff at her service. These people were conniving and thieving and probably planning her assassination behind her back but to her face, they would fall at her feet if she asked them to.

"Welcome milady." a steward had opened the door for her. She had never seen him before -

_He's new, _she thought.

-and did not take her hand.

_And young. Rookie mistake._

* * *

"Gentlemen."

All eyes were on her as she entered the room. There was pause, a brief one though it may be, as if everyone present had stopped breathing momentarily. She knew it was either fear. Or perhaps it was awe. For she was a breathtaking sight. Light almost platinum blonde hair, rosy lips, a fair complexion and cheeks slightly flushed from the cold and the most mesmerizing blue eyes. She had the beauty of an Ice Queen.

When the spell finally broke, Toris Laurinaitis, the owner of the estate was the one who offered her her seat at the poker table, between him and Arthur Kirkland, head of Kirkland & co, the leading crime syndicate in the UK and the British Commenwealths.

"Ah, nice of you to join us Natalya. Cigar?" he said offering her the smoking stick he pulled out from his mouth.

And she took it giving him a half smirk. She was not proud of it but she had done worse and far more indecent things with this man than merely sharing a cigar.

"At a girl. I bet you 80k."

"That's weak. My hand is strong, I raise 300." She said as she placed her chips.

Others at the table had opted to fold. These included Vash Zwingli, head of the infamous family of asassins, Matthias Kohler of the Nordic Brotherhood, Sadiq Adnan leader of the Ottoman Inc and of course Laurinaitis, her family's secret underling. Though there was no sign of Bonnefoy, there was a new face at the table, a young Chinese man with an expressionless face.

By the end of that round, she had won. And she also won the next round and the next round and the next. The men were getting rowdier. All the alcohol and tobacco was getting to their heads.

Well most of them were.

The young Chinese man, seemed relatively unfazed by it all. He seemed to be able to take his alcohol well. Though she hadn't actually been paying much attention to him to know how much he had consumed or whether he had drank at all.

Then Arthur spoke, face reddened from one too many drinks, "Eh N-nat-tt, how's-s-s t-that brah-ter ove yours doin'? E' asn't been a'ound for a-while…" British accent slurring.

"YEE-AAAAH! WHERE'S HE GONE?" Kohler shouted as he proceeded to put an arm around the Swiss next to him.

Vash Zwingli though slightly tipsy, did not allow himself to be touched by the Dane. He shoved him off and he fell on the floor, unconscious. No one bothered to pick him up or wake him.

"Actually, he's left for China. Gone to visit Yao Wang to see the damages they suffered from the attack."

"Attack?"

"You don't know? That Honda Kiku turned out to be a traitor. Stabbed him from behind. Got him with a katana. They say he's on his death bed."

The room was eerily quiet. The Chinese man stiffened. It was not obvious but she could sense his shock.

It was Kirkland who broke the silence.

"Bloody Hell."

Bloody Hell indeed. The death of Yao Wang and the betrayal of Honda was a major blow to the Asian mafia. It could even spell its destruction.

"There seems to be a back-stabbing streak going on here. First Feliks," Sadiq began, Natalya hissed at the mention of that name, "Now this."

"Yes, perhaps we should all be careful. Honda was one of Yao's most trusted men. He was a brother to him. We should be wary from now on. It could only be a matter of time until this strikes one of us." Vash said in a grave tone.

Arthur's reddened face paled visibly. He fidgeted in his seat before saying, "I think that's enough for one night. Let's go Kaoru."

The Chinese man gave a nod of understanding and proceeded to follow him out. So he was one of Kirkland's.

_Odd, _Natalya thought to herself.


End file.
